The three-day retreat for congressional Republicans, held at a West Virginia resort, is aimed at rallying around legislative priorities before the November elections that will be seen as a referendum on the party’s ability to govern and on Trump’s presidency.
Advertisement
Citing claims in the memo, Republicans said the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant on a Trump campaign adviser in 2016 based on the dossier compiled by a former British intelligence officer retained by an opposition research firm and financed by Democrats. Reps. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, Chris Stewart of Utah, Will Hurd of Texas and Brad Wenstrup of OH represented the committee on the morning political talk shows.
A Democratic member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Michael Quigley, said on Sunday he was concerned that Trump could censor the Democratic memo that must be sent to him for a five-day security review before it is released under the same rule by which the Republican document was made public.
And on Tuesday night, I think Trump finally did it when he said it was his duty – and the duty of every elected official in the chamber – to defend the right of every American “to the American Dream”. “What this has become is a very absurd game of chicken”, they said in the note.
“The assumption among confused and dismayed FBI employees is that the attacks are meant to soften the blow should the investigation by Mr. Mueller, the special counsel, lead to additional charges”.
The four-page memo alleging abuses of government surveillance powers was written by Republican staff of the House Intelligence Committee.
The memo is named for Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee that is ostensibly conducting its own investigation into the Russian Federation allegations. Approved by a judge on four occasions, according to the memo, and signed off on by Trump’s hand-picked deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein.
“Their (sic) was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead)”. He called the investigation “an American disgrace”. Specifically, it takes aim at the FBI’s use of information from former British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier containing allegations of ties between Trump, his associates and Russian Federation.
Trump brought up infrastructure, and, like him, the Democrats want to move ahead on rebuilding falling bridges and the like, but will they go along with Trump’s ideas on local, state and private partnerships to keep the costs within reason?
The Republican memo said the Federal Bureau of Investigation used material from a source who was strongly biased against Trump, former British spy Christopher Steele, to justify its surveillance of Page. “It depends on how much Democrats are willing to negotiate, they have drawn a line in the sand – they shut the government once over DACA”.
The poll, taken previous year from October through December, shows a decline in net approval ratings for nine of the 10 Democratic incumbents running in states Trump won in 2016.
The Democratic candidate, Lamb, declined to be interviewed by ABC News but told ABC affiliate WTAE in Pittsburgh that he’s focusing on reaching voters. “And it’s wrong. And it should never be done”. Even if the motion succeeds, Trump has five days to block it.
Rep. Joseph Crowley of NY, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, denounced Trump’s address as “racist”, while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi complained that although Trump “presents himself as generous” toward Dreamers, he’s “holding them hostage” in what she calls the “most extreme anti-immigrant agenda in generations”. Representative Jim Banks, a Republican of IN, joins us now. Trump took more time on that than he did on how to educate a growing and diverse nation.
Greg, 34, Washington – “The president had a good message”.
President Trump also addressed the need to invest in infrastructure.
Dismissing Rosenstein or Mueller would trigger a political firestorm much like his sacking of FBI Director James Comey a year ago. “He’ll be fair and impartial”.
If you were born yesterday, Fox would make you believe that this was the first time in American history that the congressional members of the opposition party ever sat silently while the president gave his annual speech.
“I’ve kept one promise after another, and we’re just getting started”.
Advertisement
That said, while it might appear Democrats have leverage, they really don’t.
